Struggling
by summerlovin2011
Summary: When Hermione and Ron get some unexpected news, it is less than welcome. But as quickly as everything can change, it can change back just as fast, so be careful what you wish for... rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Here it is, coming a few days early! Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: The Announcement that Started it All

Hermione looks up at Ron, her brown eyes filling with the dratted tears. She brushes them away with the back of her hand as her stares down at her, a confused look colouring his features.

"What did you need to talk to me about Hermione?" he asks, placing his hand tentatively on her waist.

Hermione looks down at the floor. Normally she would have talked to Ginny before approaching her husband, but Ginny had locked herself in her room and sealed the door, upset over a fight with harry. Hermione was on her own, and she hadn't the foggiest idea where to start. She had pulled Ron into his old bedroom after dinner, insisting that they needed to talk, but here they were, and Hermione didn't have an idea how to tell him what was on her mind.

"Hermione?" Ron prompts her. "You can say anything; you don't have to be worried about my reaction.

Hermione knew this time she had good reason to be worried about Ron's reaction. They had talked about this over and over again, and knew that now was not the time, but now… All their plans had changed, and Hermione knew he wouldn't take the news very well.

"Seriously, Hermione, you're starting to worry me now. Please, tell me what's wrong." He moves forward one more step, holding his wife's small waist and trying to use his eyes tell encourage her to speak whatever is on her mind.

Hermione wrenches out of his hands, and starts to pace the floor, moving from the door to the window in three quick strides, turning on her heel, and walking back.

"Ron, I don't know how to say this…" she says, panic creeping into her voice.

Ron blanches. She's going to tell him she wants to leave him. It's the only explanation. He knew when he asked her to marry him that he wasn't good enough for her, and now his darkest nightmare is coming true. What if she was leaving him for Harry? Or worse, Draco? Ron's mind started filling with endless dark possibilities, so much so that he barely heard what Hermione was saying.

"Ron, I know we talked about everything, and we set out what we want the future to hold. We know what we want, especially at this stage in our lives, but sometimes, the world throws things at us that we don't plan for, Merlin knows we've seen that enough in all of our adventures! But now, I just don't know what to do, because I've been given this obstacle, and I don't know what to do about it, because it wasn't even remotely part of our plan!" Hermione's clinical, well-planned side was beginning to show, an obvious mask she put on whenever she got too upset. Ron broke out of his reverie enough to give her a quizzical look, and before he knew it, Hermione was bawling her eyes out, sitting on the edge of his Chudley Cannons bedspread.

"Hermione, tell me, what's wrong?" Ron asked, sitting down beside her awkwardly and rubbing small circles on her back.

Hermione raised her head to look at him, staring straight into his eyes. Suddenly, she blurts out two of the most unexpected words Ron had ever heard.

"I'm pregnant."

**There we go, Chapter One I hope you guys all like this, and keep reading when I post the next few chapters And yes, I know it's really short, but as the story goes on the chapters will get longer. Usually my chapters are around 1000 words (any longer and I find I lose my attention spam when I'm reading them. I don't want you guys to be bored!) Plus I update every two days so shorter chapters aren't as big of a deal.**

**I will try to update on Wednesday, but I'm going away for a few days, so if I can't it will hopefully be Friday.**

**Reviews are always welcome, VERY welcome in fact!**

**~summerlovin'**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Oh Ronald!

"W-what?" Ron manages to stammer out.

Hermione's eyes well up with tears once more. "I'm pregnant Ron."

Ron sits on the bed, staring at his wife. His hand is no longer trying to comfort her, in fact, it has stopped moving entirely. He is just sitting, staring, trying to make sense of Hermione's words.

This wasn't supposed to happen, at least, not like this. They had a plan! Get married, get good jobs at the Ministry, and then, a few years down the road, have a couple of children. A few years! Not a few months! They barely had job for Merlin's sake! They ate nearly all of their meals at the Burrow, and their flat was barely more than a cupboard (and I grungy cupboard at that)! Ron mulled over the implications of Hermione's words as Hermione herself looked more and more terrified.

When he finally regained some power of speech, the first words out of Ron's mouth were, "What do you want to do about it?"

In hindsight, Ron realized that was not the ideal thing to say. But, in the moment, he wasn't thinking about his words, or filtering his thoughts, and so what he thought came out of his mouth like word-vomit.

"What do you mean 'What do I want to do about it?' It's our child Ronald!" Hermione screeched, vaulting up off the bed and throwing her hands over her head. "I can't do anything about it! It's not like I'm some pathetic teenager who wasn't careful! I am a grownup, married woman, I can't DO anything!" By this point she is in a real rage, and the lamp nearest to her is starting to shake on its table. Her accidental magic is getting out of control, and her hormones are certainly not helping the situation. Ron flips through his mental index to find a way to calm her down.

"How far along are you?" he asks as calmly as he can manage.

All of the anger seems to rush from Hermione's body, and she sinks down into a chair by the window, not looking at her husband, but not throwing things at him either, which Ron considers definite improvement.

"About a month," she whispers quietly.

"Well, you're still early along," Ron says, trying to find a way to better the situation. "Eight months is a long time, who knows what will happen in that time."

Hermione whips around, mistaking his words. "What is wrong with you Ronald?" she whispers menacingly. She wrenches herself out of the chair, and starts rampaging through the room, grabbing clothing and books and throwing them into a bag near the foot of the bed.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron asks cluelessly.

"I'm leaving," she spits out, the only words that could possibly frighten Ron more than the possibility of becoming a father. "I don't need this! I need someone to comfort me, tell me it's going to be okay, not someone who is too self-absorbed to even think about how this might affect the one who is going to be carrying around a ten pound human inside them for nine months, and then on top of that, pushing it out of a VERY small space." She is in a full rage now, and Is throwing things into the case with more anger than Ron has ever seen.

"Wait, Hermione, please. Don't leave!" Ron begs, reaching out for his irate wife.

"Get away from me!" Hermione shouts, slapping his hand away. "Don't touch me Ronald!"

"Hermione, please!" Ron begs brokenly. "Please!" His chest is heaving, and tears are starting to fall down his face.

"No Ronald, I'm leaving. I'll come back after I've had time to think." And with those words, she is gone.

Ron sinks down onto his bed, his head falling into his hands, tears falling onto his trousers.

"What am I going to do?" he whispers into the silence Hermione left behind her.

**Another short chapter, but I want to cut it off here. I'll write chapter 3, which is his conversation with Ginny that is in Shooting Star Starts, and post that soon **

**R&R!**

**~summerlovin'**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: What Would Ginny Do?

Ron proceeded to answer his own question: He would go see Ginny, she would know what to do.

Currently, she was locked in her room, bemoaning over a fight she and Harry had gotten into. Her door was locked against everyone's attempts to open it, including Hermione's, but Ron felt that he should at least try to see if she would talk to him.

He sent a patronus to her room with the message, "Ginny, please unlock your door. I need your advice." Hoping against hope that she has unlocked her door, Ron walks down a flight of stairs and knocks softly.

"Come on in Ron," his sisters voice comes from behind the closed door. Ron turns to knob and lets himself in, trying not to gawk at the scene of destruction that greets him.

"Obviously the Weasley temper is stronger within her…" Ron mutters to himself before closing the door carefully behind him.

Ron doesn't know how to tell Ginny what is wrong, despite her please to tell her. He paces her floor, trying to find the right words.

"I know you have your own problems," he starts, "But I don't know who else to go to…" Seeing her quizzical look makes the words bubble up inside of him, and he shouts, "Hermione is pregnant!"

Obviously this is a surprise to Ginny as well, her shocked look says it all. "oh Ron, that's great!" she blurts out, happiness taking over her face.

Ron grimaces and looks down at the floor.

"Wait, why are you upset about this?" questions Ginny, obviously remembering that he is upset about it.

"Because!" Ron explodes, "I'm going to be a terrible father! Look at me! You're locked in your room all week long because I can't even keep you safe from my best friend! How will I be able to protect my child from all of the bad things hidden in the world?" The shocked look on Ginny's face stops him, and he bites his tongue before he can offend her. His tears start to fall, and he can hear the words Ginny is saying to try and comfort him, nor the words he replies to her with.

Ginny stands up from her edge of her bed where the two siblings are sitting down, and pulls her brother to his feet. She guides his slowly up the stairs to his room, where Ron starts to cry in earnest.

He knows that room will be empty. Any other night, Hermione would be lying under the sheets, reading one of the many books she constantly carried with her, or using her wand to change the colour of the blankets (she claimed the orange glowed at night and kept her awake). Some nights, if Ron was very lucky, she might even be lying on top of the covers, a sly grin the only substantial thing she was wearing.

Tonight however, the room would be dark and cold and empty. There would be no one to kiss him goodnight or to fall asleep with his arms around. There would just be silence, save for the occasional clanging by the ghoul in the attic above his head.

Ginny took Ron and pushed him into his bed, tucking the sheets up around his shoulders. She handed him a small vial, and when he refused to drink it, she forced his lips apart and poured the whole contents into his mouth.

Soon Ron could see the world go fuzzy around the edges, and the sounds of Ginny's breathing getting further and further away. Soon, everything went black, and he feel into a deep and dark sleep, dreamless except for the vision of his wife leaving him and storming out the door playing over and over again on the screen of his eyelids…

**Yes, very short, and yes, lots of filler, but c'est la vie I'll update very soon, I promise **

**Thanks to the alerts and reviews from everyone, I love you all. MUAH (L)**

**R&R until I update **

**~summerlovin'**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Forever Alone…

The next morning Ron woke up in a daze of confusion. The potion had not yet worn off, and the haze it caused in his brain seemed reluctant to dissipate. Ro stretched a few times, and then looked to the left side of the bed to wake up his wife.

Seeing the empty space was like a punch in the gut. For thirty glorious seconds, Ron had forgotten that Hermione was gone. Now of course, reality took over and her absence seemed to take up every inch of space in the tiny room the couple had once shared.

Ron flung his feet out over the side of the bed and stood up, weaving slightly form vertigo as he walked to his dresser and started to pull on a pair of socks.

"Ron!" called Molly from his bedroom door, "I can't find Ginny. If you see her, tell her that breakfast is ready."

"Will do, Mum!" Ron shouted back, and he tugged on a pair of jeans.

Ron looked out of his window to see what the weather was doing today, and he spotted an unusual shape sitting underneath the willow tree by the pond. He walked to the window to get a better look.

It was Harry and Ginny. They were sitting, completely intertwined, under the tree, their feet being lapped by small waves as they ate each other's faces.

Ron felt jealousy well up in his chest, and he threw open the window.

"Oi! You two!" he shouted in his loudest voice. "Breakfast is ready! Get inside!" He slammed the sash down, and added to himself, "If you haven't already eaten enough that is."

Apparently, they hadn't. When Ron entered the kitchen ten minutes later, they were sitting by the owls' entrance, grinning like idiots at each other.

"I hope Errol crashes into them," thought Ron viciously to himself.

A few more family members joined them at the table, and everyone dug in with gusto. Meals were much smaller and quieter these days, with only a few family members popping in every now and then. This morning it was only Ron, Ginny, George, harry, Percy, his wife, Audrey, Mum and Dad. The usual chatter was absent too, the only sounds coming from the scraping of cutlery on plates and the sounds of people eating.

Ron scarfed down his breakfast as soon as he could, and pushed away from the table. He couldn't stand to see Harry and Ginny grinning at each other, or see Harry put a tender hand on his sister's knee. He didn't like that George often stopped eating and stared into space, thinking about Angelina in a manner that was much too obvious. Even worse was Percy, brushing against Audrey's hand or arm or knee in an affectionate manner every time he reached for a dish.

"Ron, what has gotten into you?" he hears someone mutter as he stomps away from the table and out into the yard.

Ron has no patience for any of them; they can all go screw themselves as far as he is concerned.

"Why is it that all of my family is happy?" Ron mutters to himself. "George is always dreaming of Angelina, whether they are together or apart; Ginny and Harry have obviously made up, and this time it looks like it's for good; Mum and Dad have gotten happier, and they don't even remember they have a dead son buried in the local cemetery; even Percy is in love for crying out loud! It's just me who's going to be lonely all my life!"

Ron crosses his arms as he walks, intent on getting as far away from his house as possible. Soon, he is cresting the largest hill in the area, which is nearly five miles away from the Burrow.

As he looks ahead of himself, Ron notices a rather strange shape taking form. Suddenly, he realizes what he is seeing: Luna's house.

After the war, Luna and her father tore down the nearly destroyed Rook that was their home and built a new house. Strangely, this one was shaped like a giant pawn, a fact all the neighbours found highly amusing, especially since neither of the owners of the house had ever shown any interest in chess, wizard or Muggle.

Ron decided that if anyone could help him, it would be Luna, so he marched up to the front door and knocked.

Shuffling footsteps came from behind the door, and it was opened slightly. A bloodshot eye surrounded by thick, white eyebrows and a matted head of hair peeked through the crack at Ron.

"Hello Mr. Lovegood. Is Luna in?" asked Ron slowly and distinctly.

"Hng…" was the response from the door-opener, and he shuffled away, pushing the door open a little bit more.

Ron took this as an invitation to come in, and followed the man, closing the door behind him.

The home was obviously a cheery one. Yellow paint was splashed half-hazardously over the walls, and here and there a picture frame was hung up carefully. In one room, the one Ron assumed to be the sitting room, Luna had painted portraits on the curved South wall. They didn't move, but they had a magical quality about them all the same.

Mr. Lovegood slowly made his way down the front hallway, and pulled a piece of rope hanging down beside the staircase.

Ron ducked, afraid that the senile old man was going to trap him in a net or something (he still remembered what had happened during the war). Luckily, the movement was either not seen or ignored, and no net fell from the ceiling to trap him.

"Yes, dad? What do you need?" I slightly airy but cheerful voice floated towards the two men as a beautiful blonde descended the stairs.

Luna had gotten much better looking since Hogwarts, but had definitely retained her quirks. She still wore the radish earring on occasion, although generally not to fancy events. She had worn yellow the Percy and Audrey's wedding, however the robes were much nicer than those she wore to Bill and Fleur's. More than anything, what made her so beautiful was how she carried herself. She always looked confident, although slightly spacey, and no one could compete with that.

"Hello, Luna," said Ron. "I was wondering if you were busy today?"

"Well, no Ronald, I suppose not," said Luna in her dreamy voice (Hermione often said fondly that she could give Professor Trelawney a run for her money).

"Great," breathed Ron happily.

"Just let me settle father down, and I'll come into the sitting room. Feel free to take a seat."

Ron sat down in an overstuffed armchair that had seen better days as Luna guided her father to the back of the house.

Ron felt quite bad for Mr. Lovegood. He had never really recovered from the effects of the war. Everyone said he had been going batty for years, but Ron thought that the strain of almost losing his only daughter caused him to go over the edge. Now, Luna had to care for him every second of the day. It was a strain on her, but she said she didn't mind. She wasn't one for dating anyway, so that wasn't a sacrifice for her.

"There Ron, he's sleeping. Now, what did you need to talk about? I can see you are very upset." Always intuitive, Luna got right to the point.

"It's Hermione…" Ron started.

**I don't know why, but I imagine that Ron is pretty good friends with Luna. I'm not sure why. **

**R&R**

**~summerlovin'**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Talking to Luna

"Oh, Ronald, whatever did you do now?" sighed Luna, sitting back in her chair and getting more comfortable.

"I didn't do anything!" replied Ron indignantly, immediately puffing up at the assumption that it was his entire fault.

"Well, then tell me what happened. From the beginning." Luna countered serenely.

"Well, we were at Mum's house the other day for dinner, and she asked to talk to me, alone. We went up to my room, and she told me she was… pregnant." Ron finds it very hard to force the word out from between his teeth.

"And what did you do?" asked Luna, prompting him.

"Well, I asked her what she wanted to do about it…" says Ron, scrunching up his face trying to remember what he said exactly.

"Oh Ronald!" shouts Luna exasperatingly.

"What?" cries Ron, "What did I do?"

Luna sighs, obviously running out of patience with Ron's complete and utter cluelessness. "Ron, she wanted your support, she didn't want you to be thinking about how to get rid of it! All she wanted was for you to be there for her, tell her it was all going to be okay, and that you would get through it, all three of you, _together._"

Ron lets out a snort of consternation, and Luna whips around to pierce him with her striking eyes.

"Ron, have you ever thought that maybe she's happy to be having a baby, but she was really only scared about what your reaction would be? And then, when you reacted like that, you only confirmed her fears that you would be mad, and not want it."

Ron is still sceptical, but Luna's next words convince him.

"I know this is true Ron. Hermione came here after she left the Burrow yesterday. She was in tears, Ron! You really upset her. All she wanted was your support." Luna is starting to sound angry, and Ron is surprised at how mad she sounds. "Listen, Ronald, sometimes we make plans, and they don't work out. You are going to have to learn to be flexible, because Hermione is having a baby, and you are the father. Man up and start acting like one."

At that moment, the doorbell rings, and Luna jumps up from her chair.

"Oh, no! Rolf's here!" she squeaks.

"Who the heck is Rolf?" Ron wonders, as Luna rushes to the door, and yanks it open.

A tall man stands in the doorframe. He has blond hair and a slightly crooked nose. His eyes are the same piercing blue of Mediterranean water. Ron is slightly intimidated by him, if only because this Rolf stands even taller than Ron's substantial height.

"Hi Rolf," gasps Luna, obviously breathless. "Come on in, Ron was just leaving."

Seeing this as a not-so-subtle hint to get lost, Ron grabs his jacket from the rack, and pulls on his shoes.

"Well, thanks for the advice Luna, you really helped. Sorry to bother you, I didn't know…" here he trails off, not sure what to say next.

"That's fine Ronald, anything to help a friend. Now, go find Hermione and apologize before it's too late and you've wrecked everything."

Ron nods, and backs out the door. "Thanks again Luna. Nice to meet you Rolf."

Ron flees the scene as fast as he can. Even Luna is luckier in love than him! The thought saddens Ron, and he makes his way back home through the light drizzle that has begun to fall.

oOo

"Who was that Luna?" asks Rolf curiously.

"Oh, he's my neighbour. His family lives a few miles that way," here she points, "over the hills. The Weasley family, I'm sure you've heard of them? We've been friends for a few years; his sister was my very first friend at Hogwarts actually."

"Oh, I see," says Rolf. "Um, why was he here?"

Luna chuckles, detecting a nearly hidden note of jealousy in his tone. "His wife is unexpectedly pregnant, and he didn't react very well to the news. Hermione, his wife, was here last night in tears, and he showed up this morning so I decided to take the opportunity to smack some sense into him."

"Did it work?" asks Rolf curiously.

"Oh, who knows," sighs Luna. "He's always been a little self-absorbed, and he tends not to take advice, but I wasn't going to tell him what he wanted to hear; he was wrong!" Luna is getting frustrated now, and Rolf takes a step forward and places a hand on the small of her back.

"Don't worry about it, love. He's going to do what he wants, and there is nothing anyone can do to change his mind. This is his decision."

"True," admits Luna, turning around to wrap her arms around Rolf's neck.

"I have something that will cheer you up," Rolf says with a smile. Luna's face becomes quizzical, and Rolf chuckles.

"I have two tickets to go to Tibet," he starts.

"Are we going hunting for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack?" shouts Luna excitedly.

"Yup!" cries Rolf with a grin.

"Ahhh!" screams Luna excitedly, and she gives him a big kiss smack on the mouth. Neither one of them pulls away for a very long time.

"Feeling better about Ron?" asks Rolf a few minutes later when they are both gasping for breath.

"Ron who?" gasps Luna, leaning up for a kiss once more.

**That is the end of that chapter Did you like it? I always imagined that Luna retained some of her quirks, but grew up a little bit after being imprisoned for so long and fighting in the last battle.** **And I've always wanted to write Luna/Rolf, but I don't know enough about either one of them to write anything decent. Thus, I slipped it in here.**

**R&R, reviews are my food, water, and air; I need them to survive!**

**~summerlovin'**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: "I can't possibly be wrong!"

Ron trudges back to the Burrow in stony contemplation, and stomps up the stairs to his room, slamming his door. Hard. His bad mood trickles downward into the rest of the house. Molly snaps at Ginny about her sloth-like speed while peeling potatoes. Arthur snaps at George for taking his paper. Ginny snaps at Harry for treating her like glass (he actually only held open a door for her). Percy snaps at Audrey and makes her cry. George snaps at Percy for being so mean (although stronger words are used. Harry snaps at Percy for telling the same story for the third time. Soon the whole house is in an uproar, and nearly every member of the household is walking around under thunder clouds (with the exception of one famous couple, who has snuck out to the pond to 'kiss' and make up).

"Luna is loony, that's all there is to it." Ron mutters to himself, locked away in the stuffy confines of his room. A loud bang sounds from the attic above him, and Ron takes it that the ghoul is on his side.

Completely oblivious as to how his mood has affected the rest of the house, Ron throws himself onto his bed and stares up at the ceiling. The moving posters of the Chudley cannons capture his interest for the span of thirty seconds before he is throwing himself off the mattress and pacing back and forth in the same path Hermione did less than twenty-four hours before.

"Why did he have to run to Loony anyway?" Ron mutters to himself. "It's not like Loony Lovegood ever had anything normal to say anyway." His hypocriticalness makes a portrait on his wall laugh, and Ron spins around to glare at it.

"Think that's funny, do you?" he snarls at a fat, be-wigged wizard wearing yellow robes which contrast distinctly with his flaming orange beard. The wizard tries to straighten his face, but the barely-contained smirk is still visible to the angry teenage red-head. "Well let me tell you," Ron shouts, "It is definitely NOT FUNNY! You sit there in your portrait all day long, you don't have to do anything, and you most certainly don't have to deal with unexpected pregnancy and crazy lunatic neighbours!"

"Well, I don't know about lunatic neighbours, but I do deal with lunatics on a daily basis," the wizard replies smoothly.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" questions Ron.

"Well, look at you. Your wife is gone and it was most definitely your fault, I was listening you see. And then, you go to get advice from a friend, and you come back cursing her to Atlantis and back, and you refuse to take her advice. Why? Because you don't like what she told you. If you ask me, that's pretty crazy right there. And I bet I can guess what you're going to do next, too."

"Oh yea?" sneers Ron, crossing his arms.

"Yes. You will sit in this room and mope around all day, bemoaning your fate. While you do this, Hermione will be at her parent's house, crying and waiting for you to come and tell her it will be alright. But you never will. You'll sit here and feel sorry for yourself. And then your worst nightmare will come true."

Ron paled. "What do you mean?"

"She will leave you."

Ron collapsed onto his desk chair.

"That's what I thought." the wizard concluded smugly.

"What can I do?" Ron begged him, oblivious to the obvious solution.

The portrait wizard sighed. "You're truly hopeless, you know that? I don't know what part of the Weasley's your complete idiocy comes from, but I certainly wish it had never been bred into the lineage."

Just tell me what I can do!" shouts Ron, leaping up from his chair, and stomping towards the portrait.

"Okay, okay, calm your hippogriffs," the older wizard mutters. "it's obvious, isn't it? You have to go to her. Apologize. Tell her that everything will be fine, and that you are there for her. That's all she really wants to hear from you. Not some crap about how difficult this is for you, or how it changes all of your plans. Just go to her, and tell her what I said, and you will save your marriage. And possibly your sanity," he adds.

Ron sits back down, and mulls it over in his head. What the wizard said makes sense, and to Ron, who has no other solutions, it sounds like a fantastic idea.

"Thanks," Ron says to the portrait. "You have really helped."

"Glad to be of service," the wizard says dryly, sitting back down in his poufy armchair. "Now, get gone, she won't wait forever you know."

"Yes sir!" shots Ron, and he races from the room.

The wizard in the portrait waits until Ron is most definitely gone, and then stands up. Without a word, he walks out of his frame.

He reappears in a pale blue bedroom with big windows and a yellow comforter.

"Hello? Anyone home?" he shouts.

A girl with long blond hair rushes into the room.

"Did you knock some sense into him Harold?" she asks excitedly.

"Yes, Luna, I did. He's gone to talk to her now."

"Fantastic, thank you Harold!" Luna shouts, and then returns to the room she came out of, where a male voice is calling, "Luna, where did you go?"

"Coming Rolf!" Luna giggles, and then pulls the door shut.

**Little twist there. What do you think of it? **

**While I was writing this, a hummingbird shot past my head and landed on the lilac by my deck (I was writing outside). It was really cool!**

**Until next time, R&R.**

**~summerlovin'**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N to follow**

Chapter 7: Hermione Can't Draw

Hermione sat on the edge of her bed, doodling aimlessly on a scrap piece of parchment. Flipping it over, she sees the distinctive scrawl of her husband's writing, and bursts into tears.

She's so mad at him! All she had wanted from him was support, something they had both vowed to give each other when they got married. And he had acted like a child!

In a fit of rage and sadness, Hermione ripped his letter in half. Who cares about their past? All that mattered was their future, and as far as Hermione cared, he had no place in hers or that of the small human growing inside of her. The pieces of parchment fluttered to the floor while Hermione scowled at them.

Getting an idea, she snatched up another piece of paper from her desk, and grabbed her pen again.

She had seen Lavender do this many times during their Hogwarts days. She was always the most jaded of the five girls in the dorm, and was usually whinging about some failed relationship or another. More often than that was her constant grumping about various guys in various houses and various years. Every time, she would grab some parchment and a pen, and thus would start the 'healing process', as Parvati called it. Nearly every girl in the dorm had done this at least once, often multiple girls joining together for a girly night where they gave each other makeovers and bashed boys until the wee hours of the morning.

Hermione had never joined in, but she knew how the basic idea worked.

On the piece of paper, Hermione sketched out a tall, broad-shouldered man. She gave him muscles, and floppy hair, and large hands and feet. She gave his face a scowl and knitted eyebrows. He had a long nose and pursed lips.

Hermione held the drawing out to examine it. She thought it was quite a good drawing of Ron. Maybe one of her best. But she didn't have time to admire her work. She had a job to do.

Hermione lifted the paper, and stared into the penciled grey of her husband's cartoon eyes.

Just as she was about to rip the picture into dozens of tiny pieces, a knock came on her bedroom door.

"Yes?" Hermione called.

"It's me," her Mum said. "Um, Ron's here…"

Hermione's heart stopped. Ron was here. He was here. At her parent's house. To see her. He had come after her. Hermione couldn't believe it. Her heart soared with happiness.

"He can come in, Mum!" she shouted back.

Footsteps retreated from the door, and Hermione heard them go down the staircase. Some muffled speaking came to Hermione's room through the vents, the voice of her mother much higher than the deep bass that was distinctly Ron's voice. Soon enough the quick thumping of footsteps up the stairs reached Hermione's ears and a rough knocking came on the door.

"Hermione, it's me," said the deep bass of Ron's voice. "Can I please come in?"

Hermione walked to the door, and wrenched the knob. The door opened with a sucking noise, indicating the breaking of charms. Without a single words, Hermione threw herself into Ron's arms and started to bawl.

Ron, in complete shock over his very welcome reception, leads his sobbing wife to her bed and sits down, pulling her onto his lap and rubbing her back.

"Shh," he whispered in her ear, "Shh, it's alright. Don't cry. I'm here. Don't cry."

Hermione settled her head into the crook of his neck, and quieted a little but Ron could still feel her tears tracing a river down his neck. His shirt was soon soaked, and still Hermione showed no sign of stopping.

"Hermione, it's fine," Ron soothed her. "I'm here now, I'm here, and I'm never going to leave. Never. I'm so sorry." Hermione continued to cry as Ron continued to talk. "We'll get through this together 'Mione, I promise. And I'm going to be here every step of the way. I can't wait, I really can't."

Ron moved his hand to Hermione's stomach and rubbed small circles there. He bent his head so he was speaking right at her belly button and said, "I'm here baby, Daddy is here. And Mummy and I love you so much. We can't wait for you to get here."

Hermione gave a watery chuckle and pulled Ron's head up to her level again. "I'm sorry Ron. I love you. And you're going to be a great dad."

"I'll try my best," Ron said with a smile.

Hermione smiled back, and then leaned towards him. She captured his lips in a tender kiss, and Ron responded with equal enthusiasm.

Hermione wound her arms around his neck, and pulled back, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "I guess we should get back to the Burrow, huh?" she asked him.

"Ugh, if we have to," moaned Ron in response.

Hermione smiled and pecked him on the lips once more. "We have to." she said firmly.

"Fine," groaned Ron, and with a devilish grin scooped Hermione up and threw her over his shoulder.

She giggled and pounded on his back. "Let me down, Ronald!" she giggled. "You might hurt the baby!"

Ron set her carefully down on her feet, and then knelt down so he was at stomach level again.

"I'm sorry, pretty baby," he crooned. "Daddy didn't mean to hurt you."

Hermione giggled again and said, "Ron, we really should go."

"Okay, grab your stuff and we can leave." Ron sat back down on Hermione's childhood bed and looked around as his wife rushed around, packing her bag again.

"Hermione, what's this?" asked Ron curiously, picking a piece of paper up off the mattress.

Hermione turned around, and, seeing what Ron was holding, blushed a deep red.

"Nothing," she said quickly, grabbing the paper and crumpling it in her hand.

Ron chuckled. "Hermione, if that was supposed to be me, you really can't draw!"

**Did you like my title? LOL, I had to!**

**And if it feels like this is moving too fast, don't fear. It's nowhere near done. Things are just getting started…**

**Written to "In The Mood" by Glenn Miller and "The Call" by Regina Spektor. Great songs, you should check them out!**

**Also, as mentioned at the top, I have some news. No, I'm not going on hiatus, but my usual every-other-day updates are going to now be once a week (at the least). I start school tomorrow, and I'm going into Grade Eleven with 3 hard, busy courses first semester, so my time to write is going to be greatly restricted. I will be updating every SATURDAY. I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be fair to me or my readers if I tried to update every other day still while I'm so busy. This way, you get quality over quantity. Thanks for understanding :)**

**R&R.**

**~summerlovin'**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Time of Happiness and a Source of Stress

Several weeks had passed, and Ron was starting to get better at the whole husband-of-a-pregnant-woman thing. He was getting quite good at handling the hormonal outbursts, and had even gotten his gag reflex under control (he had to, with all of the vomiting Hermione was doing).

Ron and Hermione had spent several nights where Hermione was unable to sleep sitting in the bedroom beside their own on the floor, comparing stories from when they were little kids. Hermione's favourite of Ron's was when he had been flying around on his toy broomstick with Fred and George chasing after him, and hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. Luckily, he noticed the wall in time to panic and release a burst of accidental magic. Ron was unhurt. The wall that disappeared was never seen again….

Ron's favourite childhood story of Hermione's was when her parents had taken her out to go get her clothes for her very first day of school. Her mom had tried to force her into lots of pink, lace, ruffles and ribbons, while her father had picked out clothes for boys. Hermione, ever resourceful, had simply picked out her own clothes that she had liked, taken her father's wallet, and told the lady at the cash that she had no family, and was buying everything by herself. Unfortunately, all three of them had forgotten that the school required a uniform to be worn by students…

They spent many nights in stitches, reminiscing. Some nights they picked out paint colours and design schemes. Some nights they discussed their future baby's names. Occasionally, they sat and talked about what things would be like when they did have the baby. And some nights, they just sat, folded around each other, not even saying anything, because sometimes, silence spoke louder than words.

While Ron stumbled through the early stages of pregnancy, Harry and Ginny were planning their wedding. They wanted the ceremony to be right away, no exceptions. They said it was because they had spent too much time apart and never wanted to be apart ever again (or something sappy like that, Ron wasn't listening and Hermione was trying to resist her nausea). Molly thought it was rushing rather a lot for such an important event, but Arthur talked her down, saying that the less time they had to plan the less time the press had to find out that the great Harry Potter was getting hitched to his Hogwarts sweetheart.

Hermione was very stressed about the wedding, and Ron noticed it seemed to make her even sicker than she already was. She was always tired, walking around with purple bruises under her eyes, and dashing to the loo every twenty minutes. He worried about her; she was stressing herself out too much. He wracked his brain to figure out what he could do to help her, but came up empty.

So he did what any other male in his family would do to find out what to give their significant other; he went to Fleur.

Ron apparated to Shell Cottage early in the morning on a Tuesday. Hermione had fallen asleep about an hour before, so Ron knew he had time before she would wake up, plus he could always say he had to run into the office for an hour or two (even though he had managed to convince his boss to let him work from home).

"Hello Ron," she Fleur, her French accent very hard to detect in her voice. It had faded quite a bit from her years in Britain.

"Hey Fleur, could I get your help with something?"Ron asked shyly. Her Veela charm was as strong as ever, although he was getting better at resisting it.

"Of course, come in." Fleur ushered him into the foyer where he removed his shoes, and then pushed him into the kitchen, plonking him down on one of the wooden chairs.

"Now Ron," she said, summoning a pot of tea and two mugs to the table, and pouring each of them a generous amount. "what is it you would like to ask me?"

"Well, um, Hermione has been very stressed out recently," Ron started, trying to figure out how to explain without letting Fleur know that the couple was expecting.

Unfortunately for him, Fleur was much more intuitive than he gave her credit for.

"Ronald, I know she is pregnant. I assume you have told no one, yes?" She looked at him over the rim of her mug expectantly.

"Well, no, not just yet we haven't…" Ron said.

"Well, it is one of the worst kept secrets in the family, because Molly and Arthur had figured it out, and I told Bill. You may as well just tell everyone," Fleur stated baldly.

"Oh, well, yes, I suppose," Ron floundered.

"Now, if Hermione is stressed, that is very bad, both for her and the baby. I know just the thing!" Fleur stood up very suddenly and rushed to a drawer, yanking it open, and pointing her wand into the messy depths.

"Accio!" she shouted, and a piece of purple parchment shot into her hand. She closed the door and bustled back to the table. "This is what you need," she said, pushing the paper to Ron. "Send her to the spa. This one focuses on pregnant women, and everything is tailored to their every need. It is a Muggle spa, so you have to phone them, and they will book you an appointment for whenever you would like. And remember, you must pay in Pounds, not Galleons."

Ron's eyes got progressively wider as Fleur talked, and by the end of her speech he looked like a scared mer-person.

"Erm, could you repeat that?" he asked timidly.

Fleur sighed and rolled her eyes, as if to say, "Men!"

"I will do it for you," she said, scooping up the parchment. She walked over to the phone and dialled a number. Ron watched as she quickly muttered a few odd words into the receiver, said a few numbers, Hermione's name, and laughed. The only time Ron had to speak was to tell Fleur how far along Hermione was in her pregnancy.

"There," Fleur said, hanging up the receiver, "She is booked in for an appointment the day before the wedding. Take this parchment, it has the directions on it and the time she needs to be there." She handed Ron a white piece or parchment covered in her neat black writing. "Tell her to enjoy it, it is a lovely spa."

"How much Fleur?" asked Ron, reaching into his pocket, hoping he had a little cash on him.

"Nothing. Bill and I were talking about doing it anyway, now we have an excuse. Now go, she will be waking up soon, and so will little Gabrielle."

Ron practically ran from the house. Not that he didn't love his niece but…

He whistled as he walked to a point down the road and apparated back to his and Hermione's flat. This had been a great idea, and so far, a very good day…

**I am kinda disappointed, I have a ton of hits but no reviews :( I'm not updating until I get 5 reviews, so tell me your thoughts!**

**~summerlovin'**


	9. Chapter 9

**I have totally given up on my writing; I have no ideas. Bear with me while I either take forever to update, or write really crappy chapters.**

**This is going to be short. Sorry.**

Chapter 9: Much Better

Hermione had been back from the spa for a few hours, and Ron had already noticed a difference in her. She seemed less tired, and more relaxed. She practically glowed. Her hair looked shinier, and her skin looked softer. Ron had a barely-controlled craving to touch her skin to see if it felt as good as it looked.

Over dinner, Hermione gushed about her day. First, she had gotten a manicure and pedicure, and then moved on to the seaweed hair and body wrap. She had topped the day off with a deep-tissue massage.

Ron looked at her glowing body, so rejuvenated, and felt a ball of happiness form in his stomach. He felt so good about making his wife so happy (and couldn't help but wonder if he was going to get a reward for it…)

"Thank you so much, Ron," Hermione gushed as she brought her dishes over to the sink. "It was a wonderful present." She set her plate on the drying rack, dripping wet, and brought her damp hands to clasp behind her husband's neck. Before Ron could even blink she had her lips on his and her tongue filling his mouth.

He was right about being rewarded. Hermione may be pregnant, but it didn't mean she had lost the intense desire she had in the early days of the pair's marriage.

**Okay, not very long, not very good. I have not been in the mood to write for a long time, my life is kind of falling apart right now.**

**Anyway, I promise to write better chapters in the future and to update as soon as I can. (I'll update again today with the next chapter).**

**R&R**

**~summerlovin'**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Wedding 

Ginny and Harry's wedding day seemed to dawn quickly after that. The morning proved the weather-wizard incorrect, with a bright blue sky, clear of even a single cloud contradicting his promise of showers and thunder.

Ginny looked dazzling in a white silk dress. It clung to her torso before swirling out gracefully from her hips to the floor. A wreath of daisies was woven into her hair, and a bouquet of the same was clutched between her sweaty palms as she waited for the moment when she would step out of her childhood room and onto the golden carpet that would lead her to her future.

Hermione was slumped on a velvet stool in the corner of Ginny's bedroom, melting from the heat. Her yellow bridesmaid dress was very flattering to her swelling torso, but she still felt like a whale in comparison to her slim friend who was about to become a Mrs. in only a few moments time.

"Is my crown straight? Am I sweating? Do I look fat?" Ginny panics in front of the mirror, looking into it at her best friend for encouragement. Hermione, sick of Ginny's insecurities and irritable form the heat snaps back, rather unlike herself.

"You look fine, like always. No one is going to look at you and think you're a whale."

Ginny immediately looks sympathetic and turns around to walk over to Hermione. Crouching before her, Ginny takes her best friend's hand and look into her eyes.

"Hermione, you look wonderful. You're glowing. And anyway, only Ron is stupid enough to call the pregnant lady fat."

Hermione snorts in agreement, and then hauls herself off the stool with some difficulty.

"Well, Ginny, you're up to bat. Let's get this show on the road."

Arthur's knock comes quietly on the door, and he opens it ajar. His face goes soft with love, and then sadness mixes with the happiness on his face.

"You ready baby girl?" he asks.

Hermione waddles down the stairs, and Ginny and Arthur follow slightly behind. Arthur is whispering in his only daughter's ear, and while she still looks joyful, Hermione can see the sadness in her features.

The trio stops at the porch door, and Hermione straightens her dress, preparing herself for the moment when she and her swelling belly are to be presented to the gathered crowd. Music swells, and Hermione, recognizing her queue, steps out of the house and onto the carpet that leads to a raised dais. Hermione can see Harry, pretending not to look but in reality craning his head to see over Hermione, and Ron whose eyes are glued to Hermione, eyes filled with love.

The music changes as Hermione joins the other two members of the Golden Trio, and there is a collective gasp from the crowd as Ginny steps out of the house.

Hermione hears Harry suck in a breath, and she glances over at him. The look of love and utter joy on his face makes her heart squeeze; she has never seen him this happy, not once.

Ginny joins Harry on the platform. She kisses her father on the cheek, and Arthur places her hand in Harry's, as if giving them his final binding consent.

The pair turns towards the preacher, and he begins to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

oOo

"You may now kiss the bride."

Harry wraps his arms around Ginny, lifting her up and swinging her around before bringing her face closer to his before binding himself to her indefinitely. They turn and face the crowd to accept their applause, hands firmly clasped.

Tears are freely running down Hermione's face, and have been since Harry said his vows. In a voice clear and true he told Ginny his feelings for her, even going so far as to recount the poem she wrote for him when she was eleven. Altogether, it had been a very touching ceremony.

As Hermione clapped and Harry and Ginny beamed, she felt a twist in her gut. Nothing would ever be the same. She and Ron were married, Harry and Ginny were married. All she knew for sure was that although things would never be the same, the future could only hold joy for the four Hogwarts students who lost so much.

"Care to dance?" Ron extends his hand to his wife, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Of course, but only one. I'm not sure my husband would approve," Hermione answers with a giggle.

Ron takes her hand and leads her out onto the dance floor. They twirl around to the music for a few minutes, looking at each other, the guests, and their best friend.

Ron dips his wife backwards, and presses a kiss to her forehead. Hermione pulls herself upright before returning the kiss; when Ron dipped her she felt a muscle tweak in her abdomen, and it hurt quite a lot.

"You're a wonderful dancer, sir," she says, ignoring the pain.

"As are you, ma'am."

The couple twirls around for a few more hours. Hermione ignores the pain in her stomach as well as the pain in her feet, but as the sky darkens she realizes she needs to sit down. She guides Ron to a seat near the edge of the tent, and rests her hand on her aching belly. Ron takes her feet and pulls them onto his lap, massaging them just the way she likes.

"Okay, everyone, it's time for us to go!" Ginny's voice carries out over the assembled crowd. Immediately, all eyes turn to her and a hush descends.

"Someone pass me the bouquet!" The bedraggled bunch of flowers pops out of the crowd and Ginny deftly catches it, throwing a wry smile at whoever tossed it to her.

"Okay, three, two, one!" Ginny tosses the daisies over her head, and one of the many pairs of waving hands catches it.

"Oh, look," a dreamy voice says, "I caught them."

Hermione and Ron start to laugh as Luna regards the flowers with mild curiosity, that almost borders in disinterest.

"Okay, everyone, night! We love you!" Ginny and Harry walk arm in arm towards Harry's car which is parked just outside of the tent. They shout their goodbyes and love until they have gotten in, and with much waving and a heap of fireworks set off by George, the couple drives off into the night.

Hermione, still not feeling well, grabs Ron's hand. "Well, I really think we should be going too. The pregnant lady needs her sleep." She and Ron walk to their own car and drive the short distance down to their home in Ottery St. Catchpole.

As soon as they walk through the doorway of their room, both Hermione and Ron fall onto the bed, fully clothed in their finery, and start to snore.

**Finally, a decent chapter! I actually really like this one, do you guys?**

**Here is where things start to get moving. The next chapter… brace yourselves, there is a twist coming up that will knock your socks off!**

**Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through my awful writer's block, I apologize profusely. I think I made it up with this chapter though, yes?**

**I love reviews, they make me so happy. And if you're reading this because you clicked the link on my tumblr, drop me a line. I promo if you review! Also, I have a fictionpress account, and I really need feedback on my novel, so if you want to check it out (please) the link is on my profile.**

**Until next time, R&R,**

**~summerlovin2011**


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter is heavy and sad, I cried while writing it. **

Chapter 11: Woe

Hermione is awakened by a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.

"Shh baby, it's alright," she whispers, rubbing soothing circles on her stomach to calm the baby's kicking.

Unfortunately, it doesn't calm him or her down. Hermione rises from the bed, taking care not to awake her husband, and walks to the bathroom. She knows that with the pain and discomfort she is in there will be very little chance of her getting back to sleep.

She scans the cupboard for a suitable potion. Due to the pregnancy, there is very little she can take without putting her unborn child at risk, but she takes a small mouthful of a painkiller potion and hopes it is sufficient.

Rubbing her belly, Hermione staggers to the toilet and sits down. As always, the potion has made her have to pee.

"God, I wish Ron hadn't dipped me so far back," she thinks to herself. The muscle she pulled is hurting worse than ever.

Hermione stands back up, finished, and goes to pull the lever. That's when she notices it.

The toilet is stained with red.

Suddenly a sharp stabbing in her stomach makes Hermione cry out and curl over in pain.

"Ron!" she screams, pressing her eyes closed and gripping the edge of the sink.

Ron runs into the bathroom. With one look his expression goes from worried to shocked.

"it's alright, Hermione, I'm calling Mum." Ron sends a silver patronus from the tip of his wand, and crouches down beside his wife, rubbing her back and soothing her until Molly and Arthur come running into the bathroom.

Molly immediately springs into action. She grabs a towel and spreads it on the pool of blood slowly spreading over the floor. Arthur comes back into the bathroom with a thick flannel blanket made by his wife a few years before for Ron and Hermone's anniversary present, and Molly wraps that around a crying Hermione.

"We're going to St. Mungos," she says, and motions for Ron to get Hermione.

Seeing the magnitude of pain she is in, Ron scoops her up into his arms and carries her to the fireplace where his father has already started a fire and thrown in a pinch of Floo powder.

"St. Mungos!" he yells, stepping into the flames. He expertly steps out into the shiny lobby of the hospital. He runs to the service desk and yells at the woman on duty, "It's my wife!"

Molly and Arthur whisper to a pair of nurses standing outside of a door marked 'Staff' while Ron struggles to explain to the nurse what is going on. The two nurses nod, and spring into action. One wheels over a flat bed, and says to Ron, "Place her one her, we'll take her."

Ron sets his sobbing wife down, and watches as she is wheeled down the hallway. He sinks to his knees, not understanding what is going on, but knowing that it changes everything forever.

oOo

Several hours later, a nurse walks into the waiting room and says inquiringly, "Weasley?" Right away, seven people jump up.

"Um, Ron Weasley?" the nurse asks again. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, George, Molly and Arthur sit back down and Ron steps forward.

"This way please."

Ron follows the nurse down several twisting hallways and up a flight of stairs before she stops outside of a white, windowless door.

"Your wife is in here Mr. Weasley," the nurse tells him, and opens the door. Before Ron goes in, he thinks he sees a flash of pity cross her face.

"She's still pretty out of it…" The nurse's words fade as Ron takes in his wife, lying pale and wan on the hospital cot. Her hair is splayed over the pillow underneath her head, and her hands are gripping the sheets so hard her knuckles are white.

Ron involuntarily takes several steps closer to his sleeping wife. He runs a hand over her forehead, and kisses her temple softly.

"What happened?" he asks the nurse.

She looks shell-shocked for a split second, like a deer caught in the headlights, before regaining her composure.

"We'll talk about it when she wakes up Mr. Weasley," she says, not unkindly.

Ron nods, and turns back to his wife, waiting for the moment when she opens her eyes and comes back to him.

"I love you, Hermione," he says, giving her another soft kiss.

**I'm stopping this chapter here, I'm crying too much. :P The next chapter reveals all! Cyber-cookies to whoever guesses what's going on!**

**Review, review, review!**

**~summerlovin'**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Whoa!

Ron sat diligently by his wife's bed for several hours until the anaesthetic wore off and her eyes fluttered open. Immediately, tears started pouring down her face.

"What is it? Are you in pain?"Ron's hands flutter uselessly over the sheets.

Hermione couldn't reply, her sobbing choking her and preventing the words from getting out. Ron, uncomfortable with tears, sank down beside the bed and pushed her hair back from her forehead, trying to soothe her.

Eventually, the tears subsided, and not too long after that, the friendly nurse from before came back into the room. Seeing the tear tracks on Hermione's face, she pulls up a chair and says, "I think we need to talk…"

oOo

An hour later, Ron and Hermione are sitting together, hands clasped, foreheads touching, trying to think through the pain.

The nurse explained to the couple that Hermione had a miscarriage. At five months along, she had to give birth to the baby, but due to the fact it was in breach, she had gone under the knife for a c-section instead. While the nurse, whose name was Jackie, explained the situation, tears poured down Hermione's face. Ron was shocked, he had honestly not known what was going on when Hermione had screamed for him the night before. Hermione had suspected, but she clung on to the small hope that maybe, just maybe, they had been able to save the baby.

They hadn't.

It was a boy.

After Jackie had left, neither one of the couple spoke. They had assumed the position they were sitting in now, and didn't move until a knock came on the door.

"May we come in?" Molly asks. Ron nods, and Molly comes in, followed by Arthur, Bill and Fleur.

"The others went home, but we stayed to see how things were." Molly steps into the room, and places a large vase of sunflowers on Hermione's nightstand.

There is silence in the room for several awkward minutes before Hermione whimpers softly. Immediately, Molly kicks back into protective mother mode, and rushes over to the bedside.

"Oh, dear, it's going to be alright!" She wraps her arms around the shaking girl, and lets her soak through her shirt with salty tears.

"Son, come with me, I need a coffee," Arthur says. The two men leave the room, followed closely by Bill, leaving Fleur and Molly behind to comfort a sobbing Hermione.

oOo

Hermione cries loudly into Molly's shoulder for awhile, until there are no tears left in her to cry.

"Hermione, I know it's hard, but it's not the end. You can try again."

Hermione, feeling guilt ridden, decides to just come clean. "But Molly, this is my fault! When I first found out about him, I didn't want him! And now…"

Molly envelopes her in another tight hug. "It's not your fault. This is something beyond your control. Don't feel guilty for a fleeting thought. And anyway, all that matters is you came to love him, even if he wasn't truly here yet."

"What is Ron thinking right now? What if…" She breaks off her sentence with a loud wail, and buries her head in Molly's shoulder once more.

"'Ermione, leesen to me." Fleur walks up to the bed, and grips Hermione's shoulders, forcing her to pull away from Molly and look her in the eyes. "When Bill and I first got married, I had two miscarriages. Two! But we are steel fine, and togezzer, and 'appier than ever. And we 'ad nearly given up when we 'ad leetle Victoire. Do not worry. Eet will 'appen when it wants to."

Hermione feels oddly reassured by the French woman's story. To know that perfect, beautiful Fleur had the same problem as she made the whole problem a lot more faceable.

"Thank you Fleur," Hermione said quietly, giving her a tight hug.

oOo

Meanwhile, in the hospital cafeteria, Ron and Arthur were listening as Bill told them the same story.

"It is really not that uncommon, as much as we don't hear about it. It's a taboo. But it happens all the time, and for most couples, it's a one or two time deal. Don't worry Ron. All you have to remember is that this is just as hard for Hermione, probably harder. You have to be supportive, and don't rush her. Let her grieve," he concludes.

"Thanks, Bill," Ron says quietly, looking into his cup at the dregs of his tea.

"Any time, little bro,"Bill replies, ruffling Ron's hair. It's partially to annoy him, but also in an effort to lighten the mood. "Shall we go back up then?"

The three men down the remainder of their drinks and chuck the empty cups into a bin before heading to the elevator and pressing the button that will take them back up to their respective wives.

**Okay, how was that? I hope I captured the pain and stuff… **

**A review would be lovely, especially since I know there are lots of people reading this! (Gotta love traffic stats!)**

**By the way, anyone who goes and reads my FictionPress story gets cybercookies! (And a promo if you have Tumblr). I just really need some feedback for it, and I've been forced to use bribery. :P**

**Okay, R&R **

**~summerlovin'**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Coming Home

Ron supported Hermione as she stumbled into their house. The friendly nurse at the hospital had given her a slight sedative before the couple left, and it hadn`t quite worn off yet.

"Ronald, I'm fine!" snapped an irate Hermione. "I am not an invalid! You do not need to carry me!" Ron was not surprised with his wife's attitude, but he did not let his grip on her loosen any as he guided her carefully up the stairs, tuning out her snarky comments.

He pushed open the bedroom door with his foot, and sat Hermione down on her side of the bed. She glared at him for a moment before laying down and curling up on her side, facing away from her concerned husband.

"Go away," she whispered quietly.

Ron smoothed her hair silently, and then let himself out of the room. He went downstairs and put the kettle on, but even from there he could hear the sound of Hermione's broken sobs.

When the kettle was boiled, Ron carefully made Hermione a cup of tea, milk and sugar, and brought it up to her. He paused just outside of the door to listen for any indication that his wife was still crying, but hearing nothing, he pushed open the door and walked in.

Hermione was lying in the position Ron had left her in, curled up in a tight fetal position facing the middle of the huge bed. Her arms were wrapped around her knees where her chin was propped. Tear stains coated her cheeks, but her eye were closed and her breathing slow. After all of the crying, Hermione had finally fallen asleep.

Ron set the tea down on the nightstand and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed. Tentatively, he reached out and smoothed Hermione's frizzy hair away from her face. She looked so vulnerable lying there, but at the same time all of the pain that had been etched into her features since she had woken up in the hospital was gone.

Her flushed cheeks and innocent expression made Ron incredibly sad, and he felt tears well up in his eyes. One slid down to the end of his long nose and splashed down into Hermione's hair. Ron brushed the rest away and stood up quickly, needing to get out of the room as fast as he could.

oOo

The weeks passed. That's all that could be said. Hermione never moved from her bed. She lay curled in the same position each day, sometimes crying, sometimes sleeping, but more often than not just staring off into space. Ron tried to make her eat, but she merely nibbled when he could force some food into her. She lost pounds and pounds, her face thin and gaunt. Molly invited the couple over for dinner every weekend but Ron declined every time.

Two months passed in this manner. One day, Ginny sent a patronus to the house with a message.

"Ron, Harry and I are coming over. We have to talk to you."

Ron looked around the house at the chaos it had become. Things were strewn all over the floor from Ron's many rampages and temper tantrums. The kitchen was piled high with dirty dishes and baskets of dirty laundry were stacked one on top of the other in the laundry room. A fine coat of dust lay on every surface. Ron knew the upstairs wasn't much better.

With several sweeping waves of his wand, Ron started to clean. It was manic and hurried, but he really had no other choice. Soon, lamps were back where they belonged, tables sparkled, and dishes washed themselves in the sink. Ron threw a pile of clothes in the washing machine and added soap and then trekked upstairs to tackle the bedroom.

A sour smell pervaded Ron's nostrils as he walked into the dark room. Hermione lay on the bed, covered lightly with a blanket, eyes staring blankly at the far wall. Her once curly hair lay flat against her pillow, greasy and limp.

Ron couldn't stand the sadness that lay like a blanket over the room, and so slowly backed out and walked back downstairs.

Less than thirty minutes later, someone pounded on the door.

"Come in!" Ron called.

Harry and Ginny let themselves in and took off their shoes. The way Harry was holding Ginny… there was something there that Ron recognized but couldn't put his finger on.

"Ron, we really need to talk. And you need to hear this from us rather than Mum or someone else." Ginny looked Ron right in the eyes as she delivered her speech, and Ron instantly knew that what she was about to say was important.

"Ron, I'm pregnant." There was no way to soften the blow, so Ginny blurted it out as quickly as she could, hoping that the faster she spoke the less pain she would cause her brother.

Ron gripped the edge of the nearest chair, his fingers digging in to the upholstery. Shell-shocked, he looked from Harry to his sister and back again.

That was what he had recognized between the pair. Ron had held Hermione the exact same way when she was carrying their little baby.

"Ron? Ron!" Ginny's anxious voice broke her brother out of his reverie and he shook his head sharply like a person emerging from underwater.

"I'm really glad for you guys." Ron knew his voice sounded nothing like his own, so flat and emotionless. He could not muster the energy to sound happy for the pair, not when his intestines were being ripped out.

"Ron, I'm so sorry, I know that this can't be the best of news." Harry at least had the good sense to look upset, and Ron took some perverse satisfaction in that.

"Where's Hermione?" Ginny asked flatly. "We have to tell her too."

Ron squirmed in his chair and avoided his sister's keen stare. "Ron, where is Hermione?" Ginny asked again in a dangerous tone.

"Upstairs," Ron muttered.

Ginny promptly turned on her heel and marched up the stairs before Ron could as much as call after her.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, and glanced away quickly, both looking anywhere but at his best friend. After a few seconds, Ron asked, "Butterbeer?"

"Please," replied Harry. Ron walked into the kitchen and grabbed the drinks out of the fridge and cracked the tops, walking back into the living room to hand one to Harry The pair settled into chairs in the living room and Ron flicked over the channels until he found the football game. The two men sank deeper into silence as the announcer yelled and players in white jerseys kicked a round ball into a rectangular net.

oOo

Several hours later, Ginny descended the stairs. Ron couldn't read her expression, but he thought she may have been crying.

"We can go now, Harry," she whispered quietly. Harry looked up from the footy, confused, before locking eyes with his wife. They stared at each other, communicating silently, before Harry pulled himself up out of his chair.

"Well, thanks for the drink, Ron," he said loudly, stretching his arms. "Good to see ya." He gave Ron a manly handshake and a clap on the back and then he and Ginny disapparated just outside of the front gate. Ron stood at the window for a moment, just staring out into the garden.

"Ron, what are you doing?"

Ron whipped around, startled by the voice.

It's Hermione.

She's standing at the bottom of the stair in a pair of jeans and a pale blue shirt, looking at Ron curiously.

"Just admiring the view," he replies casually.

"Is it nice out?" Hermione inquires.

"Meh," Ron replies with a shrug, "It's alright. I think it's nicer indoors though."

Hermione's face broke into a smile for the first time in months.

**Okay, how was that? I realised about five minutes after I wrote chapter 11 that I was in WAAAAAY over my head here but I'm going to persevere! LOL**

**Go read my story on FictionPress, the link is on my profile. I really need feedback. It's called "What Neither of them Wanted" and my penname is the same.**

**Next chapter is the last; we're nearly at the end. Thank you to all of my loyal readers, I love you all **

**As always, R&R!**

**~summerlovin'**


	14. Chapter 14

**This is the last chapter I know it's a little rushed, but I'm not really sure what else to say so I left it like this. Hope you liked it Big thanks will be "Chapter 15".**

Chapter 14: The Road to Recovery

Nothing was easy for Ron and Hermione anymore, but things were starting to get better. Hermione rose from bed most days, and went downstairs to the sitting room. There was still the odd day where she would sit catatonic in bed, staring at the wall, but they were growing fewer and further apart. Ron learned how to do more housework during this time, and became more adept at caring for his wife.

Time passed. Sometimes in fits and starts, but pass it did. Six months after the miscarriage, Ginny and Harry had a beautiful son to hold and care for, and Hermione and Ron were the most doting aunt and uncle imaginable. Hermione looked up at her husband in the hospital, baby James cradled in her arms, and Ron knew she was finally ready to try again.

That night, they made love for the first time since Hermione miscarried. The love between them was palpable and in that instant, they both made the unspoken agreement that nothing would ever again stop them from loving one another.

One day, Ron came home from work to a sobbing Hermione lying on the floor. Terrified, he ran to her, kneeling down to pull her chin up to look at him.

"What is it?" he asked, panicked. He looked her up and down, searching for the cause of her pain.

"Nothing, Ron, nothing at all!" She held out her hand to him, and he grasped on tightly. As her palm met his, Ron felt a sharp stab of plastic. Curious, he took the item out of his wife's hand.

"Hermione!" he shouted, too shocked for words. She nodded tearily and he pulled her close, tears of his own crowding his eyes.

After months and months of trying, they were finally getting what they wanted.

Hermione was pregnant.

oOo

The labour was long and hard. It took its toll on Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Harry and every other family member who bravely took their life in their hands and came into the hospital room. In the end though, it was all worth it.

Rose.

That's what they decided to call their little girl. Their Rosie, a sign of life, and beauty, and hope. As Ron bent down to kiss her little forehead, he knew he had fallen in love for the second time in his life, and was strong in his belief that this child, his child, would never know pain and hopelessness. He vowed to make her happy for as long as he lived.

While Hermione slept, Ron stood by his daughter' cradle and smiled a little smile to himself. Life was perfect, and nothing could ever change that.

oOo

Years passed. Hermione and Ron were blessed with another child, this time a son whom they named Hugo. As they saw their children off on the Hogwarts Express, they shed a few tears, realizing that the world was going to overtake their children someday, a day that was coming all too soon for parental liking.

They went home that night and sat by the fireplace, staring into its depths.

"Remember Ben?" Hermione asked quietly.

Ron looked at her. She never talked about Ben, their first baby, the one they lost.

"Of course I do, I barely go a day without thinking about him," Ron replies.

That is all they say, but Hermione snuggles closer to her husband on the worn loveseat. They look into the flames together, thinking, reminiscing, mourning and celebrating.

Life is precious, Ron knew that. Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Ben, everyone had a time to live and a time to die and you never knew when the first would end and the second would begin. But what you could do was control how your life was lived while you still had the chance. Some had longer than others, but what truly mattered was that they were remembered after they were gone. That's why, the next day, Ron took Hermione in their car to the little graveyard at the old church, and they lay down a bundle of flowers over a tiny tombstone together. It was weathered with age, the time of sixteen years taking its toll, but the couple could still see it in their mind's eye as though they had seen it for the first time just yesterday.

Inscribed in the white marble, the words read, "When you see a rainbow, know it's me. My colours show you I am safe and happy. So love me forever, but never forget: you gave me enough love, on that you can bet. Ben Weasley. "

The End

**Well, that's it. I hope everyone liked it. Leave me your thoughts. I'll be posting a big thank you in a couple of days, and then I will truly be done this story.**

**My next one is a Narcissa/Lucius story, and it will tide me over for a little while until I do a big Christmas saga. More on that one later.**

**Anyways, for the very last time, R&R**

**~summerlovin'**


	15. Epilogue

**Thank You**

Thank you to everyone who read my story, I love you all so much. Your feedback was so helpful, you're all fantastic people.

Special thanks to everyone on Tumblr who faithfully clicked my links and read my story.

Thanks to my very best friend Kelly who somehow managed to read every chapter only minutes after they were posted.

To my anon reviewers: TooLazyToLogin, Jess, ronmionelove, heywroo, and Dysstopia.

Thank you to: wisdongoddess26, megan-hp-tw, TroylovesGabi, My-Hand-Is-Also-A-Dolphin 8D, LunaZola, Nerddtastic, Nerissa1234, L-U-N-A-654, NCIS-Addict-4427, The Magic of the Night, SusieQ41, a-panther-and-her-prince, dancergirl3000, SecretPrincess1, FatallyUnique, Hope-W, LETS GO KILL VOLDEMORT, iAmMissA, iwritefromtheheart, and IkleRonniekinsLUVSMione.

Special Note: wisdomgoddess26 I PM`d you but I wasn't sure if you got it. Anyway, who is your sister? What's her URL? I've been dying of curiosity ever since you mentioned she is addicted to my tumblr page :P

Now, for stories in the works…

I am posting a Lucius/Narcissa one-shot which I may at some point expand on THIS SATURDAY. After that will be a Christmas series and then after the holidays are over will be a Dramione fic me and my friend Steph are working on.

So read and review. And while you're waiting for my new stuff, check out some of my old stuff And even better than that would be to take a read at my FictionPress stories and leave me a nice review on those ;)

Okay, well, until next time then,

~summerlovin' 3


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